Waking Asleep, Falling Up
by thejordanandhervices
Summary: She had no idea it had happened. One minute everything is fine, the next, he's gone. They tell her he's still there, his body still sits there, a blue light shining from within. She begins to feel crazy when she still feels him, will he ever return?
1. Chapter 1: Illusions

**Inspired by My Immortal by Evanescence, please enjoy. I readily accept constructive criticism, but flames are an asinine thing to do to any writer, it's not the way to tell someone they're wrong. Okay, now that my random tangent is over you can read. ~J**

_She was bending in the front yard, nothing wrong. No feeling of unbalance. No nagging suspicion in the back of her mind that alerts one to these types of things. He was just gone. _

_She finished her exercise as normal and walked into the house. She had only been gone ten minutes, not long enough for anything bad to happen, right? She looked for him where he usually was, in the bedroom looking over documents and letters from people all over the world complaining about something. Everything._

_The door opened, and she saw him. He was sitting in a cross-legged position on the bed eyes, wide open but seeing nothing. A blue light emanated from him, almost hypnotizing. _

_Time seemed to slow as she hurried to him, talking to him, trying to get him to wake up, but he remained silent, unmoving…._

Her hand falters. She looks at the letter she's writing, it's smudged where her hand shakes and there's a water spot where the words stop. She stands up from the kitchen table and walks to the bedroom, opening the door hoping not to find what she knows she will.

She walks to the bed and begins to massage his limbs. She promises him that he will come back just as he left, she won't let him become still forever. She kisses him on the forehead and leaves the room.

"_AANG! AANG!" She yelled, "Please," she whimpered, "come back."_

_She tried everything, everyone did. He never woke up. People assured her, at first, that he was just on a spirit journey and would be back soon. _

_Days passed, then weeks. Months slipped in and out. One year, then two. _

_Things that made her happy, people who made her laugh, they couldn't penetrate the wall she built. No one could know what was happening behind it. _

She can't remember why she goes on. People try to be nice, everyone is sad, but no one can feel the loss she feels. No one knows the pain she lives with. She knows he's still with her but she can't help but feel alone. He sees her but there is no recognition. He can hear her but cannot respond. She can feel him under her fingertips, but knows he is not there.

She makes sure no one but their friends know he is gone. Everything must seem all right. She responds to the letters, everyone helps keep up the charade. If they knew the truth there would be trouble. She is in trouble. Time means nothing anymore. She lives in the past as easily as she lives in the present. Memories of him mix together and speak to her. She loses reality for days at a time, maybe more…

"_What are you doing?" a voice came from the hall behind her._

"_I'm watching the earthbender children play in the grass on the hill over there," she said, pointing out the window. She turned around to face a ghostly version of Aang smiling at her. She knew it wasn't really him, just a memory. She remembered this moment; it was a week before he…left. She loved watching children play._

"_Do you want one?"_

"_One what?" She knew what, but she said the words anyway, like reading from a script._

"_A child."_

_She looked back out the window, "Yes," she looked back at him, smiling, "I'm only eighteen though, we're too young..." _

"_Okay, when you turn twenty one, we'll try?"_

_She walked towards him slowly, savoring the way he looked at her, "alright, it's a deal." She turned around to look back at the window._

She sees the window and turns back around, but he's gone, nothing is there but an empty room, she wonders if he will be back in time. Her birthday is soon…maybe. She would have to check.

She pulls the water she keeps in her pouch out and prepares for a battle to the death. Her enemy stares at her, a slight smile just barely revealing razor sharp teeth.

She is not afraid; something much more precious is on the line. He needs her, he will die without her.

She whips the water at the face of her enemy and… wakes up. She turns over and sees him just where she left him. She feels as if she's losing her mind but the "dreams" as she calls, them are getting worse and more often. Something feels wrong. And this time she is going to do something about it.

**So? Review please, those do so inspire. **


	2. Chapter 2: Nightmares and Daydreams

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned ANY part of Avatar I wouldn't have to write FANfiction.**

**Thank you for being so patient with me. School is finally over and I have time to write now! AND passed AP Euro with a B+ which I didn't know was possible. :) Read and review, please. And, as always, enjoy. ~J**

**P.s. This chapters moods were inspired by the following songs: Suddenly(Superchick), My Immortal(Evanescence), Hero(Piolo Pascual), and Little Wonders(Rob Thomas). **

"Happy birthday!" Sokka says, sitting across from her.

She smile faintly, but it falters, "How old am I?" She ask.

His brow furrows, "You're twenty-one, Katara. Don't you know that?"

So it has been three years since he left. It feels like centuries, and at the same time, only hours. "Oh. Yes, of course I knew that."

"We just came to say hi, and to pick up any letters that you've answered for Aang. We brought you a little something, also."

She smile a little confused, "I thought Suki was spending the summer on Kyoshi, training warriors."

He gives her a worried look, "Katara. Are you sure you're alright? I was talking about little Kya. I told you I'd bring her to see you."

Kya? Who's Kya? She wonders frantically, knowing she can't ask or he'll think she's lost her mind. She should know who this is. Maybe if she plays along he won't notice, "Oh, Kya! Of course! Where is she?"

His face relaxes, "She's outside, playing in the fountain. I hope you don't mind."

"No," Katara say. She blinks and a little girl is standing in front of her holding a box in her hands. She's in the middle of a sentence.

"-and so I made my daddy bring me anyway. I wanted to wish my auntie a Happy Birthday!" She exclaims, climbing into her lap.

"Why thank you," She says, shocked. Auntie? Sokka has a little girl? She can't remember the last time she saw him, but surely it wasn't that long ago. He's helping to be the Avatar while Aang is… busy. She doesn't remember him mentioning a daughter. Her stomach turns and she stands, setting her on the floor.

"Is something wrong, auntie Katara?" She asks.

"No, sweetie, I just have things I should be doing. Thank you for coming to see me. I'll go get those letters for you, Sokka." She hastily exits from the room and grabs the letters from the desk in the bedroom. Coming out, she hear Sokka talking to Kya.

"Auntie Katara is just very sad right now, honey. Your uncle is… sleeping. He has been for a long time now and he hasn't waken up. She's just getting sad. We need to remind her that she still has a reason to be happy."

"I don't want her to be sad. Maybe I can wake up uncle Aang!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Kya."

Before she can say anything more on the subject, Katara walk in with the letters. "Here are the letters, Sokka. They all go to the Earth Kingdom; there's been an uneasiness lately. I need you to assure them the Avatar is just unable to make it there at this time."

"Sure, Katara."

"Auntie, Auntie! Can I try to wake up Uncle Aang? Pleasepleaseplease!"

"I... I don't think…" She start to say, but she look at her. Her small face so full of hope and conviction, if she really wants to try…

"Please?"

"Alright, you can try. He's been asleep for a very long time now; I don't want you to get your hopes too high."

"It's alright, auntie, I just wanna try."

She take her hand and leads her down the hall, opening the door to the dark and cool room. No matter how much she tries, it never seems to get any warmer. They walk to the bedside and she lifts her up, setting her next to where he sits; unmoving.

"Aang, this is your niece Kya, Sokka and Suki's little girl. She wants to say hi."she turns to Kya, "He loves to play games and have fun. Do you like to play games?"

A light sparkled in her eyes, "Oh yes!"

"Good," she says, "I'll be waiting in the hall. Just come on out when you're done."

"Alright," Ky turns back to Aang as she walk out the door, "Hi uncle Aang! My name is Kya. You don't know me because I was born after you went to sleep. My mommy and daddy tell me you're the Avatar, so that's why your eyes are glowing. They say you're in the spirit world right now, but they don't know why. Uncle Aang, why did you leave? Auntie Katara is sad. Daddy says that when you left she went with you. That she sleeps too, but the difference is she's awake. I think you need to come back from the spirit world now, Uncle Aang. Auntie is upset, but more than that, people are getting scared. Daddy says people are not sure why they don't see you anymore, but telling them would be bad…"

She sits there, watching him for a minute before continuing. "I bet you had to go for a REAL important reason. Momma says you love Auntie a whole bunch, so I bet you didn't wanna go. I bet that you're sad you can't be with her and that you could if you would but something's stopping you. That's what I bet. Well, I gotta go now, but think about what I said. If you can, you should come back cause I think Auntie's getting sick."

With that she kissed him on the cheek and skipped back out the door.

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Katara stood in the hallway trying not to cry. Sokka walks up and puts his hand on her shoulder. She cries.

"He won't wake up, will he?" She asks.

"We don't know that. It's probably just a spirit journey that's taking…"

She cries harder. "He's not living, Sokka. He's not dead, but he's not living. I've tried so hard to tell myself that he's gone… he's still with me but he's not there…" her voice tapers off and she slides down the wall. Sokka sits next to her.

"We all miss him. But, Katara, if he doesn't come back soon…"

He doesn't have to finish. She knows what will happen. She stops crying and stands up; She can feel the façade reconstruct itself. Sokka stands and opens his mouth to say something but Kya skips in before he has the chance.

"I talked to Uncle Aang. I told him he needs to come back. I know he will, Auntie, so you don't have to worry." She smiles and Katara has to smile back at that sweet face. She blink and is alone again, just standing there.

Her arm tingle, the hair standing up. Goosebumps form and she feel a presence. Looking up she drowns in eyes the color of the stormy sea. He takes her hand and snakes his arm around her waste. They begin to sway.

"You're not real," She says.

"Aren't I?" He asks, dipping her low and bring her back up.

Her eyes fill with tears as she lays her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

"Did you hear Kya?"

"Yes, she's got a way with words, just like her father." He laughs, but sobers quickly, "She told me she thinks you're sick."

"I am," She whisper.

"I'm sorry I had to go, Katara." he pauses, "Do you trust me?" He asks suddenly.

"With my life."

"Then you have to believe in me." He takes her chin in his hand and brings her eyes level to his. They've stopped dancing.

"I'm lost," She says, her voice wavering. "When you left I lost reality, Aang. I need you."

His form flickers, "I love you, Katara."

He's gone and Katara is left alone. This one wasn't a memory. She have to believe he was here, but it's hard.

Darkness has enveloped the house and she doesn't know how long she's been gone. She make her way to bed. She lays Aang down against the pillow and curls against his side.

A hand comes down over her mouth and her eyes shoot open. In the darkness she can just barely make out a slim figure. Aang's tattoo's light up the room just enough for me to see a smiling face with razor sharp teeth. She draws water from the air and icicles form behind his back, but before she can strike he speaks.

"Not yet, Katara," he hisses, "It is not yet time for you to fight this fight."

With a swift motion he pulls out a dagger and—Light cuts through her eyelids, waking her up. She lays there listening to Aang's breathing for what seems like hours until the fear melts away enough for her to get up.

**A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you like it so far! Please tell me what you think. If you don't the voices in my head will punish me! Just kidding, but if you do I will be supper happy. :]**


	3. Chapter 3: Revival

**So the final chapter is here! I know, it's not very long. Sorry! This is just ow it ended up. Thank you for reading! It means a lot. And please feel free to review.  
Chapter three was inspired by the following songs: Bring Me to Life~ Evanescence, Gone too Soon~ Simple Plan, and Remind Me~ Brad paisley and Carrie Underwood.**

She traces the planes of his face with her finger, feeling the familiar grooves under her touch, making her skin tingle. A smile flickers across her features, but disappears, no longer at home there.

"Come back," she whispers. She remembers a time where her smiles never quite went away. A time where everything was easy, where they would kiss in front of the world and she knew he was hers. "You won't age, Aang, but I won't be young forever. And I won't look as good at a hundred and twelve as you."

She watched him for a bit longer before sighing and sitting at the desk, being the Avatar he couldn't be right now.

"_Katara! Stop writing! Come practice with me?"_

"_Aang, you know that if I don't write them now, they won't get written." She said, smiling up at his boyish face. _

"_The Fire Lord can wait." He said, grabbing her hands and coaxing her to the door."_

_Her smile broadened, "All right. Just for a little while."_

Reality floods back and she sits back in the chair suddenly, legs unable to carry her. She buries her face in her hands. She doesn't know how long she stayed this way, but the door creaking startles her out of her light doze. The room smears slowly back into place. A shadow looms over her. Her face hardens, whoever, or whatever this thing is, it isn't going to scare her anymore.

Standing slowly, relieved that her legs hold her, she stares the figure down. Tall and thick, it holds a wicked blade in its hand. She can't see its face, but she has a feeling its better that she can't.

"What do you want from me?"

She sees a flicker in the shadow that must be a smile. It raises its knife and somehow she knows she won't wake up this time.

"Fine," she says icily, "then I'll just have to send you back to the hell you crawled out of."

The figure lunges and as they fight time seems to slip away, but this time Katara finally feels like she's waking up. Duck. Roll. Strike. Feign. Jump. Everything comes back in a flood, she smiles and strikes again. This time, though, the figure is caught through the chest by a jagged shard of ice.

The shadow she fought glows briefly, and then dissipates, leaving the room feeling warmer than it had in years. Katara finally felt like she could breathe again. She quickly makes her way to Aang's side and leans over him, her hand on his face.

Slowly the glow dies. His eyes flutter open and she's suddenly enveloped in the sea of stormy water, but this time she had a lifeline and she would never drown again.

**Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. **


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